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October 23, 2016

In a few houses now I’ve seen a station that the homeowner
calls their “command center”. This is typically a household with kids or lots
going on or both! Most houses have what we call “the hub”, which is the spot in
the house with the calendars and schedules and here the mail, keys and phones
are set down. Most often this is in the kitchen close to all of the action.

The “command center” that I am talking about it a spot like
the hub but a bit more intense... in a good way! The things included can be a
calendar, chore list, schedules, kids bins (for things to go back to school),
grocery list, charging station, mail collection, weekly meal plan, return items bin, library return bin, receipt drop,
and on hand pens, pencils, paper and scissors. This is where the family comes
together in planning, organization and team work! Check out our new Pinterest page with some great ideas for
your “command center” and make sure to get other family members involved! https://www.pinterest.com/RTBorganizing/command-center-hub/

September 17, 2016

Yes
sometimes we think kids will do homework in the office or in their rooms but
most of the time they want to be near you and near the action at home. This
most often is the kitchen or dining room. Set up a station here with all the
supplies they need so it makes homework time efficient and easy to keep
tidy.The supplies will vary with the
age of your kids but some suggestions are: scissors, glue, pens and pencils,
pencil crayons, etc. This can be done as a fun DIY activity with you kids so
they know where things are and are happy to use it and hopefully keep it tidy.
Check out our “Homework Station” Pinterest board for ideas.https://www.pinterest.com/RTBorganizing/homework-stations/

August 14, 2016

August is here and Room to Breathe is squelching any excuse you’ve made to put
off entertaining guests at your own backyard affair. In the case you’re already
everyone’s favorite party event planner, tuck this list away for your next get
together in the fresh air.Party invitation – Consider including dining
time, what to bring, what to wear and what will happen in case of rain. Give
your guests an idea of the vibe (musical instruments and children welcome?) so
they can come prepared.Notify the neighbours – Invite them to join you or give them notice
of any potential noise, crowd or parking concern.Table(s) and chairs – Prepare with enough seating. Bring
dining chairs, stools and ottomans outside. Picnic blankets, cushions,
tree stumps, and even a hammock make for a casual atmosphere. Renting folding
chairs is a surprisingly inexpensive option.Tableware - Placemats, napkins and/or tablecloths. Plates/bowls,
cutlery and drinking glasses. Mason jars are a quick way to increase capacity
if that’s your style. Serving plates, bowls, utensils and trays.Lighting - Candles, torches, lamps, string lights or patio lanterns
make for ambient lighting.Décor – Add a pop of summer colour with paper lanterns, place
settings and outdoor cushions. Add a taste of rustic DIY or classy elegance
with menu signs and fresh flowers.Music – Plan ahead with a 5 hour playlist. Choose upbeat music and
consider directing speakers against the side of a house for a more even
soundscape.Consider temperature – Shade hot sun with patio umbrellas, and
offer handheld fans or cold compressed cloths in icy water. Have warm
blankets, shawls and portable heaters on hand for cooler nights.Mosquito repellent – Remove any standing water by emptying the
kiddie pool and bird bath, plug in a few fans, light citronella candles or
offer guests natural and healthy fly repellent lotion.Entertain children with beach balls, bubbles and games. Bocce ball
for big kids too.Take care of waste - Receptacles for compost, recycling and waste
to landfill could ease post-party clean up time.Food – Whether a buffet, plated meal, tapas or potluck, create
thoughtful ingredient cards for those who may have food preferences. Mesh
covers are handy to protect food and beverages. Don’t forget the condiments!Drink - Cooler, ice bucket, ice, tongs, bar towel and damp cloth
for cleaning up spills. Corkscrew and bottle opener. A blender if blending
drinks and a power source and extension cord if needed. Water is a must-have
under the hot summer sun.Recruit help – From pre or post party clean up to serving guests,
you’ll always be grateful for thinking ahead and enrolling a professional,
friend, family member or teen’s paid or voluntold hand.

June 11, 2016

As we kick
off summer my husband and I get out to the mountains more and more. As a
professional organizer I sometimes wish we only liked one hobby so we only have
to buy gear for one hobby and always know what we were doing on the weekends…

Nahhh that
would make things too simple! Instead in the winter we downhill ski, back
country ski, cross country ski, snowshoe, winter back country camp and my
husband occasionally ice climbs. In the summer we hike, backpack, canoe, rock
climb, mountaineer, scramble, mountain bike, road bike and car camp.

This leads
to a lot of gear! And that leads me to our “Gear Closet”. We live in a condo
without storage in the garage, so the closet in our spare room/ office is our
gear closet. As a professional organizer I take pride organizing and setting it
up so we can grab and go. It took a bit of switching around and containerizing
but we have it now! (At least until we decide to start another hobby!).

Purge: If there is gear that you no
longer use or that needs to be thrown out for safety reasons, now is the time
to do so.

Assign a Home: Maybe you have a whole
garage of space to custom set up for your gear and activities or maybe you’re
like us and have a closet of space, either way you should set up zones for each
activity and each item should have a home in the correct zone. If every item
has a home then it should be easy to maintain and you will be able to find what
you need every time, speeding up the time it takes to get geared up and gone!

Containerize: Snag some bins as
required, peg boards, hooks, etc to give each item an easy to access home. For very
little used items place them in a bin with a label and stick them in the harder
to reach areas.

Equalize: As an organizer I love this
part as it is the final touches on the job. Equalizing essentially means making
it easy to maintain. Labels are key here so you and everyone who uses the area know
where things belong. As well, my husband and I have placed a few lists in our
gear closet. In our daytrip bin we have a list of other items that we need to
bring. For example we need to bring our headlamps that are in our personal
bins. Also you can include some activity gear lists. Hang a canoe trip gear
list on the door so you can do a final check through on your way out.

Organizing
can feel overwhelming at times but encourage yourself in knowing that once your
set up properly it will be easily maintainable. This will help save you lots of
time, stress and energy. You will then be able to be out doing what you enjoy
more!